TSA stands by officers after pat-down of elderly woman in Florida

It's been awhile since I've posted, as I don't abide by the 'post regularly' rule of blogging. I post when I darn well want to. But that said, I couldn't pass this up. The libertarian streak in me, as (relatively) mild as it is, was a bit too offended at this latest story.

(CNN) -- The Transportation Security Administration stood by its security officers Sunday after a Florida woman complained that her cancer-stricken, 95-year-old mother was patted down and forced to remove her adult diaper while going through security.

Reports of the incident took hold in social media, with scores of comments on the topic and reposts appearing hourly on Twitter Sunday afternoon. The TSA released a statement Sunday defending its agents' actions at the Northwest Florida Regional Airport.

"While every person and item must be screened before entering the secure boarding area, TSA works with passengers to resolve security alarms in a respectful and sensitive manner," the federal agency said. "We have reviewed the circumstances involving this screening and determined that our officers acted professionally and according to proper procedure."

Emphasis mine.

I think the point that bothers me the most is that this was the 'proper procedure'. Here's the fourth amendment for you, in case you aren't up on your constitutional law:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

So where was the probable cause the granted the TSA the right to ask an elderly cancer stricken woman to remove her adult diaper? Was she acting shading? Like she might blow up a plane? Did she look like the type to try to storm the cockpit? Did she have a rap sheet? Was she on a watch list or a do not fly list? Did she have a run in with security before going through the TSA checkpoint?

My suspicion is that the answer to all of those questions is no. The TSA, in its attempt to avoid a 'discrimination' accusation by minorities, has intentionally randomized their searches. This is in blatant violation of our fourth amendment. And having that little old lady remove her adult diaper did absolutely nothing to help secure that plane. There is ample precaution, and then their is blind, illogical procedure. The TSA routinely uses the second one. Someone ought to reign them in.

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Completely unrelated, my 100th post. :)

Our Eroding Civil Liberties

This article gives an excellent example of why libertarianism is a small, but slowly spreading, movement in the US. It's truly the only logical place for politics to go, what with Federal Government on a binge power grab. A government only has the right to rule so long as it has the consent of the governed, and the US Federal Government I think is rapidly losing favor in the eyes of many Americans.


Excerpt:

One of the most disturbing, which is subject to an ongoing lawsuit, involved a 21-year-old college student from Amarillo Texas. The woman was passing through security at Corpus Christi airport on May 29 2008 when she was subjected to “extended search procedures” by the TSA.

“As the TSA agent was frisking plaintiff, the agent pulled the plaintiff’s blouse completely down, exposing plaintiffs’ breasts to everyone in the area,” the lawsuit said. “As would be expected, plaintiff was extremely embarrassed and humiliated.”

I would be fascinated to know how many bad guys the TSA's screening methods has truly caught. I strongly suspect the number to be close to zero. Then compare that to the number of people they've violated, and I bet you could plot some very, very interesting graphs.


Also, another interesting editorial pushing for the outright abolishment of the TSA, which honestly, makes a lot of fiscal. Airlines have an extremely strong incentive to keep their flights safe, and if the TSA disappeared, they'd have to cover their own tails or risk losing all business. I'm willing to be the airlines would find many cheaper, more effect, less offensive security measures than the TSA, and it wouldn't waste my tax dollars. I mean, we are in incredible debt peril anyway, right? Scrap the TSA entirely. 


From the article:

Bipartisan support should be immediate.  For fiscal conservatives, it’s hard to come up with a more wasteful agency than the TSA.  For privacy advocates, eliminating an organization that requires you to choose between a nude body scan or genital groping in order to board a plane should be a no-brainer.